The Kenji Files
by Helbereth
Summary: Kenji Setou and Emi Ibarazaki have moved on from their days at Yamaku and become agents with a multi-national organization. Investigating strange happenings, the mismatched pair fight against or work with the disparate denizens of their respective worlds, seeking answers and uncovering truths.
1. Dark Garden Part 1 Darktide

**The Kenji Files:**

**Dark Garden Part 1**

**Darktide**

Soaked with perspiration, the suit-jacket rubbed against her sides and her arms – and some more sensitive areas. The polyester coat was slowly stripping away her sanity, chaffing against her skin wherever it touched, but, being the only piece of clothing left in the abandoned shed where she awoke, Emi had taken it unquestioningly. Beginning to regret her concern for modesty, the desire to retain some dignity was overriding the need to be free from its torturous grip, but she was close to going native.

In the back of her mind, she realized the sight of a naked, legless woman crawling through the woods might be too much for a hiker, if any should happen to find her, but it almost seemed worth the risk. Maybe they would have extra clothes to let her borrow; or they might have a history of sociopathy and a knife. Reconciled with the streak of terrible luck she'd been having of late, the latter seemed more likely.

This was Kenji's fault.

Her poplar-green eyes flicked around, following the random noises coming from the darkened woods, and she secretly wished he were there so she could throw him at whatever beast seemed to be stalking nearby. Kenji Setou was an impossible man to get along with, but he was her assignment; straight from the top of the organization. Well, maybe not "assignment" so much as "punishment". Emi growled at the dark and let out a frustrated sigh as another twig dug into her hip - always in the same place it seemed.

Biting back the groan, having no desire to make her position any easier for some ferocious beast to follow, she gritted her teeth and rolled over to check for blood. Brushing pine needles from her sweat-covered hip, she found no skin breaks, but the image of blood in her mind conjured a fantasy about the bloody mess she planned to make of Kenji's stupid face. Even without her legs, she could probably wrestle him to the ground and pummel him to death; assuming he wasn't already dead.

Of course, this wasn't her first time working with the bespectacled, frustratingly obtuse and potentially insane Agent Kenji Setou. They had a long and colorful, on again, off again relationship that went as far back as her Academy days. A professional relationship, not a romantic one, mind you. Back then he was about twenty times more volatile and hopelessly reclusive, but at least he hadn't become a thorn in her side quite yet. Fate, it seemed, had a nasty way of bringing people together, and set them to meet in University.

Having calmed a bit by then, he even managed a narrow social life, but Emi didn't actually come into contact with him until they both took a Psychology course. They recognized each-other and gravitated toward that familiarity. Having only met a few times in their three years at Yamaku, she didn't know Kenji personally, but she had heard plenty of stories from Hisao about Kenji's antics. He had mellowed by then, and had become capable of maintaining of an interesting conversation; without peppering his speech with accusations and rhetoric - usually.

He was fun to talk to back then – witty even.

Seeing him again now, though, she would probably break his giant coke-bottle glasses and use the shards to stab him to death – starting with his spleen. Kenji's spleen could sense danger, he often claimed, and told him when a case file was worth investigating; and it got them both in trouble - a lot. As a rule, If Kenji suggested it, they were probably going to get in trouble. That's why he led them up to this God-forsaken backwoods establishment, and it's why he insisted they check around without calling in their position.

His spleen only had about a fifty percent success rate when it came to predicting the future, which seemed to her like the same level of accuracy anyone else had at foretelling events. Perhaps he just misinterprets his spleen's warning against doing stupid things, but to hear him talk about it, you'd think he inherited a sixth sense. Whatever the case, listening to Kenji's diatribes was almost worse than agreeing to go along - almost; it's a close call every time.

Whoever grabbed them both and stuffed chloroform in their faces, they weren't kind enough to leave a note explaining their reasons. Whatever platitudes may have been in their kidnapper note, Emi figured they probably weren't completely saccharine, and likely would have resulted in their quick fatalities had their identification not been discovered – and stolen. Emi wasn't looking forward to explaining how they managed to get in this situation, assuming they made it back alive, but the details were hazy even with her head clear - relatively clear.

"Some expert secret agent I am," Emi spat as she rolled over to start crawling again.

Waking up drugged, naked, and tied to a chair in the pitch dark was not the best way to start the night; at least not when it wasn't intentional. They had apparently strip-searched her, and probably Kenji, taking their guns, identification, and even her prosthetic legs, before carting them off to God-knows where for whatever sinister purpose they had planned. Quietly laughing, Emi wondered how desperate an outfit they were considering their willingness to steal a cripple's legs. Leaving her in that shed, apparently deciding she couldn't escape without her legs, she managed to roll out of the chair and slip right out of the ropes - it was almost too easy.

Noticing it seemed the forest noises were growing nearer, Emi quietly berated herself for grunting her frustrations into the darkness. Whoever took them was probably still around, and likely looking for her. Not having seen any lights flickering in the darkness, Emi felt somewhat secure that her kidnappers weren't in pursuit just yet, but, based on the outlandish file Kenji described during the car ride, it seemed likely the group had enough funding to use modern night-vision or thermal technology, perhaps even bio-scans, to find her in the darkness. Those methods had few indicators to show the source of the pursuer, a fleeting red or green light in the distance at best, and those would be difficult to spot from her low angle through the trees.

A nearby snapping sound like a breaking tree branch caused her to stop crawling and roll over to look around. Peering into the darkness, she tried to focus, but the overcast sky and complete lack of moonlight just left her staring into blackness. Nothing but dark shadows resting across the umbral gloom greeted her searching eyes, and for a moment she understood what it might be like being legally blind - like her audacious partner.

Held in suspense, time seemed to slow as Emi concentrated on her aural sense; listening for additional sounds. Even the insects seemed to fall silent as she focused, but, whatever had broken the branch, it was apparently stopped in place, and likely searching the darkness in much the same way. Soon, it would decide whether to run away, or press its attack, and Emi wanted to ensure her readiness for either event.

Sidling backward on her elbows slowly, she placed her back against a fallen tree and felt around for a blunt object to use as a defensive weapon. Finding a narrow branch, about three feet in length, she levied it in front of her. Barely able to see the stick in her own hand, she steeled her gaze, peering into the darkness and praying she didn't have to try fighting something while effectively blind, and from a prone position – the odds were decidedly against her.

Rushing wind caught in her ears and a distant mournful wail from a coyote found its way across the vale, but the area around her was otherwise deafeningly silent. Holding her breath, Emi was still startled by a sudden rustling coming from her left as a barely visible bush started shaking violently. There was a groan, not a growl, and several snapping noises like breaking branches, followed by the sight of a shadowy figure falling out from between the bushes.

Landing in a heap on the ground about ten feet away, it seemed to just lay there for a few seconds before leaping up onto its knees, coughing and sputtering. Evidently brushing at its face and head, perhaps to push pine needles away, the figure seemed distracted and hadn't noticed her. Coiling like a spring, Emi rested the stick along her forearm and held it in front of her like a nightstick, deciding to stay still and observe the creature - no, the man.

Beginning to notice details about the haggard figure, Emi stayed silent, carefully assessing whether he was friend or foe. It was a man, a skinny man, and, from what she could tell, he was as naked as the day he was born. His messy hair and a narrow, pointed chin were obvious even in this pitch darkness. Still cautious, as he started to stand, Emi made herself as small as possible; desiring to remain the only one who knew someone else was nearby.

Tentatively, holding his hands out to balance himself, or perhaps to feel around for something to stand up against, the man stood and began glancing around in animated fashion. Grunting and sputtering, he seemed to look straight at her, but evidently his eyes were rather ineffective, even though she wasn't particularly well hidden. Calming, he stood straight-backed and brought his fist up to his side as his head began looking around in a familiar side to side motion. Realizing who she was looking at, Emi nearly threw the stick at him.

"Kenji?" she whispered, trying not to let the angry edge into her voice. As much as she was contemplating his assassination, it was good to see him alive - well, mostly.

He leaped around and faced in the wrong direction exclaiming, "Who's there?"

Definitely Kenji.

"It's Emi you idiot!" she yelled, letting the anger flow through her.

"Ibarazaki?" he asked, still trying to follow her voice.

"Who else? I'm over here," she answered, trying to direct his gaze toward her. She thought for a second about her predicament and added, "don't look."

Kenji finally faced toward her, but she noticed he was without his distinctive glasses. "They took my legs," she explained, "you're getting me new ones!"

"Sorry," he said. "My spleen let them get the jump on us," he explained, asking, "did they strip-search you too?"

Emi didn't want to answer that question, but figured it was important he understood the scope of the situation. "Yeah... all I have left is my suit-jacket," she explained. She let out a groan and added, "it's fuckin' killing me, though."

"All I got left is a sock," Kenji said. "I put it to good use, though," he gestured downward and Emi looked away. "Gotta protect the junk," he said crudely.

Not wanting this particular subject to remain active, Emi shook her head to clear the mental image before asking, "any idea where we are?"

"No idea," he admitted. "But my spleen thinks there's a road..." he spun around and gestured into the pitch dark, "down that way somewhere."

She didn't trust his spleen, but it seemed to point him in the same direction she was going. "Well, I've been crawling for about half an hour this way," Emi explained as she tried to push herself up against the log. "I'm not exactly thrilled to be looking for civilization in my current state, but we need to find a phone somewhere."

Kenji offered a nod, or at least it looked like he nodded, and inquired, "well, I seem to need your eyes and you need my legs. Wasn't there an episode of Star Trek like that?" Holding up and shaking his hand dismissively, he continued, "never-mind. If you don't mind me carrying you, we can probably get to the road faster."

Emi frowned and grit her teeth. He had a point, she knew, but the thought of being naked and carried by a naked man, especially Kenji, through the woods was a grim prospect; not to mention embarrassing. However, the thought of staying out here through the night and likely being mauled by a bear was somewhat less appealing. Still, if they were going to die, she wanted the chance to stab Kenji, or bludgeon him to death, and she could do that more easily by starting so close - tactical advantage outweighed her pride.

Tightening the grip on her stick, she pushed herself to sit on the log. "Fine," she said, "just don't get any ideas."

Kenji gave a bow and seemed to smile saying, "I'll be a perfect gentleman... I can't guarantee all my parts will be so gentlemanly, however."

Emi rolled her eyes at the lewd compliment. "As long as the parts that count remain gentlemanly," she admonished, "you'll probably survive the walk down to the road."

"Probably?" he questioned.

"There could be bears," she explained sheepishly.

"I didn't force you into the car, Ibarazaki," he said. That was his typical excuse when he got them in trouble; it was pure bullshit, though. If he didn't get her to go along right away, he would pester her until she agreed, and Kenji was an expert pest. He was legally blind and relied on her to do the driving, so, unless she agreed, he couldn't pursue whatever ridiculous lead he had found, and, over the years, he learned how to press her buttons.

Sighing with exasperation, Emi shook her head and grimaced. "Just pick me up so we can get the hell out of here," she commanded.

"Right," Kenji replied. Taking a few tentative steps closer, he reached down to lift her by the legs while she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Hefting her up, Kenji grunted and fumbled as his hand ran under her thigh, nearly causing him to drop her immediately. Finding a somewhat comfortable perch in his arms, Emi was happy she at least had that suit-jacket as a barrier between them, or Kenji probably couldn't control himself.

Smiling inwardly at that notion, she leaned close to his ear as they started walking and whispered, "If you tell anyone about this, I'll murder you in your sleep."

With that cleared up, the two of them started trekking through the darkened woods, headed toward what Kenji's spleen said was a road. Emi peered into the darkness, watching for pursuit, and tried to ignore his wandering eyes. Kenji kept eerily quiet as they walked, but Emi figured he was concentrating on not overreacting to having a woman in his arms; it was a rare event. Figuring his inability to see was probably saving her modesty, she couldn't really do anything about it unless she wanted to crawl all the way back to civilization; dead Kenji couldn't carry her, after all.

She could murder him before calling in, though.

* * *

_This noir-ish story had inspiration rooted in a KS forum thread about "what if" situations. Writing a short blurb - about 300 words - directly onto the thread, a number of following posters suggested I expand on the idea of Emi and Kenji slipping into roles similar to Mulder and Scully (of X-Files fame).'_

_Deciding it was interesting enough an idea to pursue, I followed up a week later by writing this introductory chapter - which really starts long after they had already become agents. This will crossover with numerous video game worlds as it goes, and episodes will likely jump around in the timeline of their association._

_Since the related world doesn't start to become mentioned until the second part, I'm not going to say much more here, but I picked something very recent to explain their predicament; left naked in the woods. The first 3 parts are complete, and all rather short (this being the longest), though the first story isn't complete, so I'll probably post them all as soon as I finish giving them some TLC._

_Anyway, be on the lookout for future serials under this guise._


	2. Dark Garden Part 2 Inconvenience

**The Kenji Files:**

**Dark Garden - Part 2**

**Inconvenience**

The air was feeling cold, but that had more to do with Kenji choosing to borrow her blazer and adjust his sock before going into the store to seek out some assistance. Seated behind the flagpole near the road, Emi was stark naked. Crossing her legs and wrapping her hands across her chest, her eyes followed Kenji as he approached the little convenience store set behind the gas pumps. Watching Kenji walk through the door, Emi wondered just how strange things had a tendency to get in this backwater part of the countryside; the clerk seemed to barely bat an eye at his disheveled, sock-and-women's-blazer-wearing appearance.

After an hour on the road, a car going by now would be pure irony; bitter, horrible irony. Huddling herself tighter, but knowing little really stood between someone's wandering eyes and her naked form, she contemplated what she might do if that irony became a reality; it wasn't a good prospect for Kenji. The only thing really keeping him alive by that point had been his ability to walk, but that would soon be immaterial. Although, the paperwork involved with explaining Kenji's death remained a reasonable deterrent. Emi grinned at the irony of bureaucratic red tape saving the fervent conspiracy theorist's life.

Staring through the door as her half-blind partner attempted to explain how he ended up naked in the middle of the woods, Emi assumed a pensive expression. They had agreed on making up a story about college shenanigans, but Kenji wasn't great at sticking to a script. The way he was gesturing wildly with his arms over his head, she thought it equally likely he was describing a bear attack – or a zombie apocalypse.

After a few minutes of ranting from her partner, the store owner stepped out of view and returned with a bundle of some kind, offering it to Kenji – likely just to get him to go away. Kenji stepped out a moment later, bowing thanks to the store-keeper, then quickly turning and walking across the lot to where Emi sat, carefully averting his half-blind eyes.

"He said there's a payphone out here," Kenji said as he approached, digging through the bag. "He gave me some pants and stuff," he described, pulling a pair of pants that looked about two sizes too big from the bag and tossing the rest to her.

Emi dug into the bag, quickly finding a big sweatshirt, and pulled it on before bothering to look for anything else. Kenji leaped into the pants, dropping the sock in the motion, but Emi was too late to avert her eyes. Groaning, he blushed, commenting, "it's cold out here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure," Emi agreed noncommittally, digging into the bag, but only finding a pair of orange shorts and a box of Tic-Tacs remaining. Never having been one for high-fashion, she doesn't offer any complaint, quickly pulling the shorts on and sitting on her knees. Looking around the lot, she inquired, "where's that phone?" Tossing the bag back to him, she added, "and what's with the Tic-Tacs?"

"Other side of the building, he said," Kenji pointed behind him, but nowhere near the building. Emi didn't bother pointing out the inaccuracy of his directions. As an afterthought, he mumbled, "The Tic-tacs are field rations."

"You're an idiot," she remarked.

A few minutes later, sitting on the ground next to the phone, Emi was listening to the ring through the receiver. Kenji leaned against the phone box, gazing up at the trees, or maybe he had fallen asleep. Suspecting it would take a while for the ops center to clear the line, she waited impatiently, wanting the conversation to end as soon as possible; it had to start first, though.

Finally the line connected and a clear, feminine voice broke the silence, "Sally's Pizza, thanks for calling."

"Two large pepperoni and a coke," Emi answered, using the coded response. "Ibarazaki, eight-eight, three-five-nine, wolf."

The line is silent for a moment, followed by another connection sound and more ringing. Finally a familiar voice started yelling, "Ibarazaki, you better have a damn good explanation why you haven't checked in for three days!" While she was happy to hear Laromy's voice, his screaming soured the reunion - not that it wasn't expected.

Emi was quiet for a second, considering the revelation. "Three days?" she asked absently, her bewildered tone hard to hide.

"Where the hell are- wait, we already know. What the fuck are you two doing in Maine?" he barked. His mechanical keyboard could be heard over the line as he typed furiously. "Is Kenji with you?" he asked, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

Deciding not to be cordial, Emi barked right back, "shut the fuck up, Laromy, and listen. Trace this line and send an evac for two. We still have business out here, but fuck if I know how we're supposed to do anything in this state."

"Maine," he said flatly.

"Your attention span is encouraging, jackass," Emi blurted, "just send the damn team and tell them to bring clothes and equipment for me and Setou."

"Clothes?" Laromy inquired.

"Don't fucking ask!" Emi yelled, glaring at Kenji, "I'm sitting on the ground, legless, and Kenji's without his superfluous glasses."

Kenji moved to say something, but Emi swatted his shin with her stick and he backed away, bowing apologetically. Laromy coughed and grunted, then the keyboard started making noise again for a few seconds. Emi rolled her eyes, waiting for him to finish. "Bureaucracy..." she muttered under her breath.

Laromy finally spoke, his voice somehow sounding less angry after Emi's tongue-lashing. "Chopper's on its way," he explained, "tell Setou I expect a full report-"

Emi Interjected coldly, "when we're good and ready." Glancing at Kenji again, she sighed. "Three days?" she asked again, this time expecting an answer.

"Yeah," Laromy replied. Sounding bewildered, he inquired, "the hell happened?"

"Kenji happened," she remarked, "you probably don't need to know the details."

"I'll still expect that report," he said, quickly adding, "I can imagine, though. Your evac should be there in twenty, so look sharp."

"That'll be hard with Kenji wearing my blazer..." she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Laromy inquired.

"Right, wouldn't want to embarrass the agency by letting the grunts see us agents under-dressed," she balked, rolling her eyes.

"This line isn't gonna stay secure, so contact me again when the chopper arrives," Laromy requested. Pausing a moment, he started to say, "tell Kenji-" but Emi hung up before he could finish.

Rubbing her temples for a few moments as Kenji fidgeted in place; giving her an expectant look, but trying to be coy, she collected her thoughts. Admitting it was hard, but whatever gut feeling Kenji had about this place, it was apparently worth investigating. Noticing an inconsistency, she leveled a questioning glare on her fanatical partner and asked, "just to clarify something for my ailing sanity; we were in Massachusetts when they bagged us, right?"

Kenji raised an eyebrow at the question, but answered quickly, "yeah, in some po-dunk town near Purgatory Chasm." He held up a finger to add, "Sutton or something."

Nodding, and recalling the little hovel, she inquired, "okay, so how the hell did we end up in Maine three days later?"

"A truck, probably – or a train," he replied, making Emi scowl.

"No, you idiot-" she stopped her self and frowned, "what's the connection, I mean?"

"Well..." he started, but, backing away out of stick range, he looked at her pleadingly before finishing the thought, "it was in the file, but that's gone. I was going to suggest they bring the file, but you-"

Throwing her stick at him, she let out a frustrated grunt. Hitting his knee squarely, the stick bounced and rolled away. Kenji stumbled forward, reflexively grabbing his knee and wincing in pain. Evidently he was going to mention that while she was on the phone with Laromy. Now they were going to have to go back with the evacuation team, retrieve the file and find out what this dark corner of Maine, this quaint little corner of hell, has to do with a geological anomaly three-hundred miles to the south.

Looking up at a sign near the entrance to the gas station, Emi noticed the name of the place; Kingsmouth Gas'n'Go. For some reason, the thought came to mind that this little town might become very important in the following days. At the very least, she wanted to know the name of the place where she murdered Kenji – for her memoirs.


	3. Dark Garden Part 3 Deniability

**The Kenji Files**

**Dark Garden - Part 3**

**Deniability**

The chopper slid through the air stealthily while the passengers looked out at the dawning sky. Everything was a blur, still, but Kenji didn't mind his poor vision for that moment. Instead, he focused inward and began formulating conclusions to the tiny bits of information he'd gleaned from their brief interment.

The feeling he got reading over the light case-file led him to politely request Agent Ibarazaki's assistance, and, even though it had been an ordeal, he was happy with the result. Whatever the suspicious characters were doing at Purgatory Chasm, it was clearly something worth investigating. The connection to Maine was harder to pin down, but he thought perhaps their society had a base of some kind in this region.

Kingsmouth, Ibarazaki had said, was the name of the little town they wound up in, but Kenji didn't recall it from any of the maps he poured over in his free time. That detail seemed rather askew considering they had just been there not ten minutes before. Perhaps he hadn't seen the marking, or maybe it was newly added, but maybe, just maybe, Kingsmouth was another secret in the web of conspiracies he spent the better part of his adult life researching.

Feeling the cold stare from his partner, Kenji glanced at her and smirked apologetically. Whatever else they may have discovered in their trip to Massachusetts, Kenji now knew her more intimately. Circumstance demanded it, but they would never have been in that situation if not for his bumbling of protocol. Eventually, she would come around to forgiving him, but, for that moment, he held the crossbar over his chair on the off-chance she might decide to push him out of the helicopter.

Laromy was suitably annoyed, he gathered from watching the phone conversation, but seemed willing to listen. He even sent a spec-ops team along with the regular rescue crew and ordered them at Ibarazaki's disposal. That was fine, he figured, she was the more tactically minded between them, after all. Ibarazaki also carried most of the physicality between them, but Kenji's instincts and attention to detail usually helped more than she might admit.

Flying away from the rising sun, time seemed to stand still as they passed over the heavy forests, but soon they came to a clearing where a small, gray, inconspicuous shed stood. Landing nearby, the door swung open and out stepped a familiar, grinning figure. Ibarazaki brightened visibly as she recognized the face, but Kenji crossed his arms in suspicion.

Few people were familiar at that distance, but the white lab coat, purple shock of hair and shit-eating grin were unmistakeable. A specter from their days at Yamaku, Nurse stayed true to his word, promising to remain nearby like a pseudo-father, and followed Ibarazaki when she joined the NPC. Approaching the chopper, carrying a metallic gray suitcase, he ducked down away from the whirring blades and called out a greeting.

"Hey, Emi! Kenji!" he called, nodding to each. "Word came down you needed some support," he remarked, close enough not to yell. Swinging the case up into the chopper, he flicked the locks open and lifted the lid revealing a new pair of prosthetic legs; apparently for Ibarazaki.

Not being particularly adept at noting subtle differences, they didn't look terribly different from the spikes she often wore, but the look in Ibarazaki's eyes indicated otherwise. Lifting one out of the case, she stared at it wide-eyed with a broad grin.

"This is a modified Cheetah Mach-three," she surmised, turning the technological marvel over in her hands. "Any surprises I should know about?" she inquired, turning her quizzical gaze at Nurse.

"Get them on, and I'll explain inside," he said, glancing at Kenji, "you're due for a de-briefing anyway, so there's no rush." The double meaning in his statement was not lost on Kenji, and he grimaced at the prospect.

Quickly untying her pant legs, Ibarazaki went about fitting the new spikes over her stumps. Watching with some interest, Kenji marveled at how quickly she fitted and strapped them into position; she had gotten a lot of practice over the years. Once she had them secured, she leaped out of the chopper and bounced on the new spikes, feeling them for the proper fit.

Satisfied, she offered Kenji a slight grin, remarking, "maybe losing my legs over your stupid plan wasn't such a bad thing after all."

Following Nurse toward the shed, Ibarazaki bounded ahead, drawing a despondent roll of the eyes from their purple-haired compatriot. "Try not to accidentally set off one of the special features," he scolded, "they're perfectly safe, but not if you don't know they're about to happen." His cryptic warning caused Ibarazaki to turn a curious glance, but Kenji merely smirked; Nurse always made sure his surrogate daughter had the latest toys.

The shed, of course, was not just a shed. The top floor was laid out like a gardening shed complete with tools, barbed wire rolled against the wall, and the distinct smell of fertilizer and decaying plant matter. However, once they crept inside and the door closed, the carefully projected images fizzled into a solid gray elevator. Large enough for cargo, the platform was pristine and polished to a reflective shine, though he could hardly enjoy the spectacle.

Pressing a series of buttons to unlock the security protocols, Nurse paused and turned. "Gird your loins!" he exclaimed as he pressed a large blue button and the elevator started moving down slowly.

After sharing a disbelieving glance with Ibarazaki, Kenji smirked at Nurse and chided, "always the kidder."

As the last syllable escapes his lips, the room seemed to fly downward and Kenji was nearly thrown off his feet; the elevator suddenly dropped, full-throttle. Feeling sheepish after his comment, Kenji looked away; partly, though, it was to hide his paled expression.

"I'd offer you Dramamine," Nurse joked, "but watching you eat your words is a lot more fun."

Kenji groaned and folded his arms, watching as the gray walls slipped away into a clear capsule; through which he could see the towering facility stretching into the blurry darkness. Well-funded, their parent organization spared no expense to turn every operational base into an acropolis. Complete with living quarters for over a thousand employees, full athletic and recreational facilities, medical staff, gardens, and even a small animal farm – the NPC prepared to carry humanity through an apocalypse if necessary.

Constructed as the northern hemisphere base of operations for the Americas, this particular base, merely referred to by its serial number, UQC-13, rested below an expanse of Maine forest, far from prying eyes. Its proximity to the mysterious town of Kingsmouth brought up more than a few questions, but Kenji knew better than to ask anyone directly involved with their organization. Resigning to await their assignment, already knowing he was on thin ice, Kenji quelled his inquiries and followed Nurse dutifully to the medical annex for a complete physical.

Hours of poking, prodding and generally uncomfortable questions followed, such that by the time he found himself staring at the bed assigned to him by the porter, all his thoughts had left and he slumped onto the warm mattress heavily, feeling completely exhausted. Sleep took him quickly, but it was not to last. Merely a few hours later, the door drew open and in stepped a very red-faced Laromy, shrieking curses that launched Kenji out of his slumber, and right out of the bed, landing unceremoniously on the floor.

"Do you have any idea the shit-storm you stirred up with the higher ups?" Laromy barked, his flustered cadence just starting to rise in ire. "The fuck were you thinking skipping protocol like that?" he inquired, though Kenji assumed it's mostly rhetorical.

"You saw the file," Kenji stated, "we were checking out a simple lead." His explanation, however, was not received with much sympathy.

"Without telling me? Without informing your team? Without so much as a phone message to explain your absence?" Laromy's questions hung in the air, but Kenji really didn't have any good answers, so he didn't bother replying. "Whatever you ran across down there, it's someone's personal nightmare or some shit!" Laromy spat, "they can't even tell me what's in that file you found. Some jack-hole carted it away and fed back a rescinded stack of illegible shit!"

Kenji nodded at hearing this development. Laromy didn't miss the gesture and turned a quizzical eye on his subordinate, asking, "what do you know?"

Straightening, and shaking the fatigue away, Kenji stepped over to Laromy and whispered, "there's something fishy about this whole thing. What did they say their plan is for Purgatory Chasm?"

"Off limits," Laromy balked, "they'd have my head."

Laromy was a reasonable guy if you caught him in the right mood. One of those right moods was when something didn't smell right, and this whole situation stunk. Deciding to work on the assumption that Laromy was equally perplexed by and wary of this sudden secrecy, Kenji leaned in close and said evenly, "punch me."

"What?" Laromy questioned.

"Just do it before I punch you first!" Kenji threatened, "just tell me what room Ibarazaki is in first."

"How do you plan to get past security?" Laromy inquired.

"It's better you don't know," Kenji replied.

"D-deck, room 212," Laromy stated, "she's probably gonna beat the shit out of you for this."

Kenji smirked and leveled his head, staring straight into Laromy's eyes. "Now make it look real," he said, preparing for the coming blow.

Without waiting another instant, Laromy wound up and threw a right cross across Kenji's jaw, sending him reeling backward. Glancing back up at the burly man, there was a delighted smile splayed wickedly across his lips; he probably wanted to do that all day. Unfortunately, what Kenji had to do next would be much less enjoyable.

Darting across the room, he wrapped Laromy in a sleeper hold, assuring him, "the headache will be worth the peace of mind."

As Laromy struggled a bit, Kenji tightened his grip, waiting for the tell-tale relaxation before sliding him down to the floor and heading for the door. Hopefully his gut was right this time, or Ibarazaki really might follow through on her historically empty threats.


	4. Dark Garden Part 4 Out Of Eden

**The Kenji Files:**

**Dark Garden Part 4**

**Out of Eden**

No matter how many times he looked out the door, the racing thoughts in his head wouldn't subside. Wracking his brain, recalling the base schematics he studied, Kenji remembered a flaw in the design and planned to use it to slip out of the base through a low-security area. Whether it would actually work or not, it was about the only way to slip out unnoticed; short of climbing through a ventilation shaft.

Unfortunately, he would need help, and Ibarazaki was his go-to person for assistance in all things conspiracy-related. Even though she didn't necessarily believe him most of the time, her curiosity usually worked in his favor. However, after being drugged, kidnapped, stripped, hog-tied, left for dead and then carried, naked, through the woods, she was probably not going to be happy to see him.

Getting out of his room was simple enough; he claimed Laromy was suffering a diabetic attack and that drew attention away while he wandered to the stairwell. He was free to roam the facility, really, but the diversion kept a fair number of people from looking his way; or noticing their coming escape.

Truthfully, he was probably being over-cautious in his approach. The NPC was a good-natured organization by all accounts, and he doubted they were involved in anything malicious, but they weren't above suspicion. Too many things about this escapade didn't sit right, and it seemed like his agency was somehow involved. Ibarazaki would understand that, he thought; she was always suspicious of coincidences.

That thought in mind, he finally knocked on the door and listened for her groggy, but cheerful reply, "Nurse, I'm fine, really! I just need sleep."

Feeling a little bad about disturbing her, Kenji pushed through the door and replied, "it's not Nurse, Emi." Using her first name, rather than the more formal surname, was how Kenji let her know he was serious.

"Oh it's you," she replied in a mirthless monotone. "Whatever you want, don't even bother," she balked, "we can figure this out after we get some rest; go back to your room."

Her apparent willingness to investigate perked his frown up, but her intent to wait leveled his smile into a grimace. "We might not get the chance," he explained, looking at her earnestly, "Laromy told me they're planning to black-book it."

That made her eye him suspiciously, but her expression didn't seem annoyed so much as intrigued. Taking a few strides across the room, her new prosthesis remaining eerily silent, she reached for a hair tie on the small desk and wrapped her hair into a tight ponytail, sighing audibly. Looking at him squarely, she rolled her eyes and inquired, "I assume you're planning to go gallivanting off to figure it out before they start dropping napalm?"

Her reference to napalm made Kenji cringe; that was a long time ago, but the scarred patch on the back of his leg still kept him awake some nights. "Paper cover-up, mostly," Kenji retorted, suspecting it wasn't a problem that needed a fiery cleansing, "I dunno about you, but I'd rather know who stuffed us in that shed for three days; if we uncover something else-"

"Fine, shut up, I'll help," Ibarazaki interjected, slapping Kenji's shoulder and heading toward the door. "How's Laromy?" she asked as she twisted the knob.

"Delightfully complicit," Kenji replied, hoping she didn't turn to see his smirk. Not that she'd likely have any problem with him choking their boss out and leaving him on the floor of his room, but there was no need for her to know those details.

Having expected more resistance, Kenji was somewhat perplexed by her unusually fast agreement, prompting him to inquire, "why so little argument?"

"Peace of mind," she replied, shrugging as they stepped out into the darkened hall, "and this whole thing smells like shit; maybe your spleen isn't wrong this time."

What she didn't tell Kenji at the time, was that Nurse had laid out the whole scenario while going over the new features on her new Cheetah Mach-Threes. Having browsed the file before it was rescinded, he was equally displeased with the apparent silence coming from his superiors, and advised that she should seek answers despite the likelihood of a cover-up. Kenji showing up and relating a similar tale was just the last straw pushing her toward seeking out the veiled truth about their waylay.

Inquiring about how he planned to get out of the acropolis unnoticed, Ibarazaki leveled a barrage of questions at Kenji, to which he had already worked out the answers. Once they got down to the bottom level, it was a simple matter of crossing the hydroponic bay and blasting a hole through a rock wall leading into the service tunnels. Since they were disused after construction finished, few patrols wandered the perimeter there, and their exit would probably go undetected.

Probably.

Walking through the halls of UQC-13, they were both respected agents of NPC. Well, maybe not respected, but they wouldn't be bothered. Kenji had a reputation for being sullen and confrontational, which meant few of the other agents wanted to associate with him, but he thought that was fine. Ibarazaki was the personable one, and that showed as they neared the armory.

Grinning through her distaste for the formality, the guards outside the door saluted Agent Ibarazaki, sneering at her cohort, as they slipped into the well-lit room stocked with enough firepower to arm world war three. Mostly a blurry mess of black, white and gray to Kenji, the room was not one they usually bothered with, but if they were going back to Purgatory Chasm, or Kingsmouth, they would want to be prepared.

Ibarazaki walked straight across the room to a rack containing the new M90-Z Light-Wave Disruptor Rifles; her personal favorite general-purpose weapon. Designed to imitate the look of a typical assault rifle, the M90-Z had a black stock and long barrel, hair trigger, sights, and protrusions along the bottom to imitate ammunition, but the internal workings were something to be admired. Using fractal light generated by a plasma power cell hidden inside its unusually thick stock, the internal workings were mostly classified, but, essentially, it shot bursts of highly charged particles using technology born from experiments at CERN's LHC in Switzerland.

Kenji hoped the safety was on.

Choosing a normal nine millimeter sidearm and strapping it on under her coat, Ibarazaki tucked the rifle into a suitcase and waited for Kenji to make a decision. Never being particularly handy with firearms, largely because of his poor vision, Kenji usually avoided carrying them; but this was no time to be gun-shy; especially with her disapproving grimace fixed on him. Deciding on a smaller K-21 "Jimmy" Focused-Laser rifle, the older model, he dropped that into a similar metallic case and chose another nine-millimeter Beretta for his sidearm.

Strapping it under his coat similarly, Kenji smirked and commented, "maybe we won't need them."

"Whoever left us in the woods naked like that is at least losing a few limbs," she quipped as they exited the room. The guards looked them over suspiciously, mostly at the cases, but Ibarazaki's smile and curt pace left them speechless; she had a way of ending conflicts without letting them start.

NPC was a vigilant organization, Kenji realized, and they certainly had secrets to keep. Keeping ahead of their security measures would be hit or miss, and a fair amount of luck was required for his plan to work. Ibarazaki seemed to agree. Keeping her usually bouncy gait subdued, she walked just ahead, watching for curious bystanders.

Few people were out this late, but anyone could be suspicious at this hour. Thus, like following the speed limit when you're smuggling weed in the trunk, they walked quietly through the halls and down the stairs, then across the courtyard toward the section marked as Hydroponics.

Taking the K-21 was actually partly because of this upcoming hurdle, Kenji figured the sustained setting could cut a gash wide enough for he and Ibarazaki to slip through. He hadn't counted on her expertise having been assigned to guard duty for her first year with the NPC.

Finding a hidden panel in the rock wall, she lifted away the keypad and reached her slender arm into the hole it left. Feeling around for a moment, she smirked when her hand found what she was looking for; apparently the rock wall was another illusion. The sound of crackling metal followed as she strained to pull something out of the wall. A moment later, a metallic crunch made it through the hole and she jerked away, still holding the wires she had ripped from their housing.

The rock wall fizzled and vanished, replaced with an oddly shaped door that opened into a dark hallway. Hefting her Beretta out of its holster and flicking on the front-mounted light, she gave Kenji a wink and began walking through the door. Following closely, Kenji shook his head at his lack of knowledge, lifting his own Beretta out of its holster to add a second light to their foray.

"This leads out to a hangar," Ibarazaki remarks as they walk, keeping her voice low. "Nurse mentioned a package would be waiting there," she continued, not taking her eyes off the diffused beam of white light, "whatever you stumbled on, even he thought I should help."

Maybe Nurse wasn't so bad after-all.

A clicking sound from down the hall somewhere stopped their slow advance, and Kenji crouched, blotting out his light while Ibarazaki switched hers off, and waited, listening for more. If there was one advantage Kenji had over Ibarazaki, it was his hearing. Though he still relied heavily on his blurry vision, when in a situation where it became totally useless, his hearing was quite keen.

Hearing another clicking sound, this time closer, he patted his partner's shoulder and gestured in its direction. Still uncertain of its source, he stood and began leading toward the sound. Finding a t-junction, he flattened against the left wall while Ibarazaki took the right. Sidling to the edge and peering around it, the clicking sound became clear; there stood Nurse.

Fiddling with a handgun of some kind in one hand, he paced back and forth, lit by a hazy beam of light emanating from somewhere down the hall behind him. Rolling his eyes at Nurse's apparent lack of stealth, Kenji nodded toward Ibarazaki, and they slid around the corner, each taking a side of the hall as they approached.

"Nurse?" Ibarazaki whispered as they neared. He started and spun, pointing his handgun aimlessly into the darkness. "It's me, Emi!" she protested, "don't shoot!"

His shoulders relaxed and he dropped the gun down, recognizing her voice. "Those new spikes are damn quiet!" he remarked excitedly, "good thing you said something or I'd have plugged you both."

"The safety is on," Ibarazaki noted patting his shoulder as she passed by, "good thing you're not an agent."

"Is he coming with us now?" Kenji inquired, still uncertain how the grinning man got word of their imminent departure.

"I texted him our plan," she said nonchalantly, "while you were fumbling around in the armory."

"You realize they'll track that," Kenji lamented.

"Fuck 'em," she retorted, "their red tape just makes getting things done a giant hassle."

Her animosity was to be expected, but her tone seemed ominous. Kenji wondered what else she might be planning after this excursion, but perhaps it was better to leave it alone until they had a chance to finish what they started. Quieting his questions, Kenji followed the mismatched pair out to a loading dock constructed in a giant cavern.

Docked along the edge of a cement pier were a number of small watercraft, but they didn't hold his attention for long. Instead his gaze fell upon an angular, black helicopter parked on a raised platform. It appeared similar to the one they had been picked up in from Kingsmouth, though the only crew appeared to be a tall, skinny fellow with long sandy hair and a clipboard suspended under his left arm. Wearing a flight-suit and aviator sunglasses, despite being in a dark cavern, the pilot seemed familiar, but Kenji couldn't quite make out his face.

"Fueled and ready, Emi," he remarked, his throaty voice echoing into the hollow cavern, "say the word and we're airborne in two minutes."

"You remember Nurse, of course; and this is Kenji," Ibarazaki stated as they crossed the platform.

"I remember him," the man replied, "skittish guy in one-seventeen, right? Friend of that fellow you dated for a while, as I recall." Evidently he knew who Kenji was, but neither his voice nor his face seemed to clarify anything.

Ibarazaki, springing ahead, wrapped the tall man in a friendly hug and then backed away to turn and introduce him. "This is Jun Yamata," she stated, holding a hand out, "though you might remember him better as the Track Captain."

Offering a quick salute of sorts, merely brushing his forehead with two of his grease-stained fingers, Jun nodded and added, "pleasure to make your acquaintance, again."

"How did he get in past security?" Nurse inquired, apparently not javing been kept informed of everything.

"Sora's a stealth chopper," Jun explained, "armed with radar jamming, sonar deflection and the latest in hull design. Best not to go into too much detail, but suffice to say, the NPCs ain't got a chance of seeing her unless I want 'em to."

"Fire her up, Jun," Ibarazaki interjected, hopping into the cabin. Tossing her smart-phone out into the water, she added, "rather not give them any more time to find out we've gone."

"On it!" Jun replied, already in his seat before Kenji could even close the distance and join Ibarazaki. Nurse following a moment later, they belted into the seats and closed the door. Until the chopper actually started lifting off, Kenji hadn't even considered how they might get out of the cavern, but he soon realized the plan was to follow the water, flying barely inches off the surface, through an opening leading out into a nearby bay.

Whatever else Jun knew, he was apparently a skilled pilot.

Slipping out into the night, Kenji looked around at the other passengers and wondered just how much trouble he'd really gottten them into. This business with Kingsmouth and Purgatory Chasm seemed like something sinister that needed to be dealt with, but he worried the cost might be too great.

Maybe his spleen had led them astray afterall.


	5. Dark Garden Part 5 Hovering Spies

**The Kenji Files:  
Dark Garden Part 5  
Hovering Spies**

Leaning back in the comfortable seat, Emi let out a sigh and closed her tired eyes. Jun had kept in contact with her over the years, and she knew a lot about his financial prowess, but his helicopter seemed prohibitively expensive; not to mention illegal. Still, it was relatively well-insulated from the thrumming copter noise, and was leisurely furnished with large, plush chairs rather than hard benches; it was a cruise ship, not a military vessel.

Opening her eyes to have a look at the other two passengers, Nurse looked like he was a schoolboy on a roller-coaster, eyes wide with excitement or fear, clutching his briefcase with both white-knuckled hands. If his reaction to airplane travel was any indication, a helicopter ride was probably putting him close to a panic attack; he'd be fine, though. Kenji fidgeted in his seat, apparently finding the lavishly upholstered chairs less than comfortable; or maybe he was just nervous. Seeing his discomfort made Emi smile derisively; he deserved to feel a little uncomfortable after the hell he had caused.

Outside, the hull emanated a dull blue hue for a moment as Jun's voice over the headset explained, "we're now running silent to every detection method I know of." Pausing as he threw a couple switches, he inquired, "what's our destination?"

Kenji, hearing the same query on his headset, stopped his anxious thrashing and held up a hand, opening his mouth as though to say something, but stopping. Emi raised a frustrated eyebrow at him and complained, "this is your expedition; though I'd go with Kingsmouth since it's closer."

Watching him consider that for a moment, Emi shrugged and confessed, "I wouldn't mind catching some sleep on the way down south, though."

Having only managed to sit down for a few minutes after Nurse finished their physical exams, and introducing the enhancements built into her new spikes, she felt the fatigue creeping over her, and the soft chair wasn't helping her stay awake. Evidently, Kenji had a similar thought on his mind as he nodded and replied, "we should start at the beginning. Take us down to Massachusetts, Mister Yamata."

"Call me Jun; everyone do-" he replied, the radio crackling as it cut off his last word.

"Kenji still calls me Ibarazaki, so I wouldn't get your hopes up, Jun," Emi sighed, turning a sardonic look at her bespectacled partner.

"You three catch some Zs," Jun said cheerily, "I promise not to hit anything on the way down." Jun's use of words like 'down' and 'hit' when talking about flying usally made people nervous. Evidently it worked on Nurse.

"How long will this take?" Nurse inquired, sounding barely coherent. Obviously the helicopter ride didn't agree with him, but Jun's flippant disregard for flight terminology etiquette was too much.

"Few hours, tops," Jun replied, "don't worry; safest way to travel." Nurse grinned faintly and tightened his seatbelt, clutching the briefcase tighter. A moment later Jun's sarcastic voice remarked, "unless I fall asleep."

Nurse's eyes would have popped out of his head were that possible. Instead they stayed wide open as he sunk deep into the seat and glanced at Emi and Kenji, saying, "I-I'll stay awake... just in case."

Rolling her eyes, Emi nuzzled against the headrest and sighed, "wake us before we hit suburbia."

Kenji finally found a comfortable position, his frazzled hair leaning against the hull, and drifted to sleep almost immediately. Nurse, apparently determined to stay awake, kept peering around the cabin at every little noise, probably imagining a million different deadly scenarios as they flew. Shrugging, Emi sat there with her eyes closed for a few minutes before the fatigue finally washed over her, pulling her into blissful unconciousness.

Roused by a shove from Nurse's sweaty hand, Emi lolled her head and peered out at the hazy morning light. The sun barely crept up over the distant horizon, bathing the cabin with a soft, blue-gray glow. Looking over at Kenji, he was already awake, rubbing his eyes with one hand while the other held onto his glasses. Squinting and smirking, he pulled the headset back on and asked, "she awake?"

Nurse nodded, but quickly realized Kenji probably couldn't see that and added, "her eyes are open."

"How poignant," Kenji replied, smirking.

Sitting forward, Emi yawned and shook away the tired feeling, grabbing the microphone beside her face and inquiring, "did you set up a car, Jun?"

"Morning!" Jun replied, "and yes, a black sedan will be waiting for us near the landing zone."

"Where's that?" Kenji asked.

"Schoolyard a few miles from your destination," Jun replied, sounding apologetic, "area's too wooded to land much closer, but it's pretty deserted this time of year."

"That's fine, we don't want to attract attention too close anyway," Kenji replied. Taking the headset off and hanging it around his neck, he covered the microphone and leaned toward Emi, asking, "how much can we trust him?"

Emi sat back and thought for a moment. Jun was probably worthy of their trust, but imparting it would make him complicit in their venture. As much as she trusted him, she had no desire to put him through a firestorm of accusations if this went sour. "Plausible deniability," she decided to suggest, "only what he needs to know."

Nodding, Kenji pulled off the headset completely and hung it up to unbuckle himself and switch to the seat next to her. Wearing a stern expression, he explained, "we'll need to be covert. No mistakes this time, and no surprises."

"I'm not planning to end up naked in the woods again, if that's what you mean," Emi balked, crossing her arms defensively.

"I hate saying this, but we should go by the book for once," Kenji added, looking sincere, "we don't even know who was behind our kidnapping, and I'm not going to underestimate them."

"Agreed," Emi replied, nodding, "that's why I asked Nurse along; he can back us up and call in the cavalry if something goes hinky."

Turning to regard their flight-frightened compatriot, Kenji shook his head and smirked. "Guy Smiley looks like he's about to have a coronary," he remarked, turning back, "maybe he has more in common with your boyfriend than you'd care to admit."

Rolling her eyes, Emi gave Kenji a shove and sighed disdainfully, "watch it, bug-eyes, you're already on my shit-list!"

"Just lightening the mood!" Kenji claimed, "you look a little nervous."

"Go back to your seat!" Emi ordered, "and leave Hisao out of this."

"Fine, fine..." Kenji sighed as he crossed back to his original seat.

Nurse leaned forward, holding the headset to his ear, then and informed them, "Jun says we're two minutes out."

The schoolyard was smaller than expected, but plenty large enough to land the chopper. Nurse practically ran out of the cabin, panting and nearly collapsing to kiss the ground as Emi and Kenji extracted their equipment.

"Gimme a call if you need another ride," Jun said as they exited.

Emi grinned and reached forward to pat his shoulder, replying, "count on it!"

Finding the sedan parked in the nearby student lot, Nurse rested his briefcase on the hood and opened it, starting to clack away at a keyboard before the display brightened completely. A combination satellite laptop and medical suite, his case contained diagnostic tools, a broadly stocked pharmacy, and lab equipment designed for use in the field. The computer was linked into the NPC network, and he could relay all or none of their maneuvers through its various programs.

Usually, he just used it to play Solitaire, Emi mused.

"I'll be able to monitor your movements from anywhere within three-hundred miles," he said absently, continuing to type. "Really a marvelous machine," he remarked, "I wish I had the chance to use it more often."

"You're about to," Kenji commented, slipping into the passenger seat, "c'mon, Doc, we have a mystery to solve."

"Right, right..." he replied, re-closing the case and turning his flat grin at Emi, "I guess it's too late to call shotgun."

"Did you bring one?" Emi inquired, shooting him a raised eyebrow as she pulled open the driver's side door.

"No," he replied.

"Then yeah," she said, slipping into the seat, "too late to call shotgun."

"Get in the back," Kenji called out through his opening window, "we'll drop you off someplace secluded on the way!"

Finding a motel along the highway a few miles from the chasm, they rented a room for Nurse to use as a handler stage where he could watch from afar. Taking some radio equipment and ear-buds from his well-equipped briefcase, Kenji disliked using the irritating appliances, but grudgingly accepted seeing Emi's glare. Being connected so viscerally to technology bothered him on a fundamental level, but he was willing to bear it for the sake of not chancing fate; or Emi's wrath.

Leaving Nurse with his toys, they continued following road signs along the highway. Posted near every off-ramp, signs indicated how the chasm could be reached, though Emi didn't really need the reminders. Purgatory Chasm was a local landmark, part of the scenic countryside, and kept preserved by the state parks department, but, in her memory, it was the last place she was before being drugged and carted five-hundred miles to the north. Whatever else might be there, it was protected from industry and human encroachment, so whoever they did find was likely either a ranger or a conspirator; she liked the odds.

Seeing the signs indicating their destination was merely two miles away, and deciding to hike to the chasm instead of driving right up to the visitor's center like last time, Emi slowed and looked for a good place to turn off and hide the car. Finding an inconspicuous break in the tree-line, she shifted in to four-wheel-drive and turned into a grassy gully, aiming between a pair of oak trees, and drove straight into the wooded park.

Keeping an eye on Kenji as they rolled through the sleepy, mostly coniferous forest, Emi wondered what else he might be thinking. Remaining unusually quiet throughout the ride, his face was wrapped in a thinking expression that made her feel uneasy; Kenji thinking was rarely a good sign. Shrugging, she concentrated on avoiding pratfalls as she snaked the car between trees, finally coming to a stop under a pair of very large, old-looking pines.

Stepping out, the smell of pine and fresh air caught in her nose, much more powerfully than at the school or the motel. Unlike the wooded areas near cities, or suburbs, there was very little clutter on the ground. Although, the remnants of someone's recent visit were visible; paper cups and cartons. Kicking one of the cups away, Emi groaned, "some people are such slobs."

Kenji sniffed the air and nodded, remarking, "this is the place."

"No shit, Sherlock!" Emi balked, rattling his calm demeanor, "did you think I was driving us to Tony's?"

"We could've gone to Tony's?" Kenji replied, "wait, what's Tony's?"

"I dunno, you're standing on a cup with it written on the side," Emi mentioned, nodding toward the paper litter stuck to his foot. "C'mon, check your gear," she said, shaking her head at his bewildered expression, "I'm gonna scout around."

Heading off into the woods, Emi smirked as Kenji called after her, "remember where we parked!"

The morning light sent long shadows from the tall trunks, casting the needle-laden, rocky hillside in a zebra-pattern of light and dark streaks. A slight, foreboding mist hung lazily over the morning scene, and the still air felt damp, but not wholly unpleasant as she walked between the trees. Keeping her eyes focused, the darkened areas seemed much more sinister than on their last approach, but back then she hadn't really taken Kenji's warnings seriously.

Now knowing there was certainly something hiding in the nearby woods, she kept her eyes open and her mind alert, letting the sounds, smells and sights fill her senses. Pushing some stray limbs away, she frowned as her hand came back feeling sticky from the sap, but that didn't concern her much. A feeling of being watched settled over Emi, an unsettling sense of unease that tied knots in her stomach and caused her irises to dart around. Scanning the tree-line, she reached for her sidearm, but left it in the holster, deciding it might be better not to display her weapon before seeing the stalker.

As her hand left the inside of her jacket, a buzzing sound caught in her ears and she spun, looking for the culprit. Honey-bees were common in the area, she remembered Kenji mentioning; a number of locals kept small hives. However, the large, black and yellow creature she saw hovering between the boughs over a nearby pine gave her pause. Larger than any bee she had ever seen, easily three long inches from head to tail, it flitted behind a branch, then rose up to hover nearby.

Staying in place for several seconds, Emi had a crazy thought; that it was her stalker, but that didn't make sense. Although, nothing about their previous expedition had really made any sense, so maybe it wasn't that crazy. Whatever the case, it was certainly strange to see any kind of bee this far from blooming flowers, and its size indicated it wasn't indigenous. Never having been particularly frightened by bees, she wasn't allergic as far as she knew, so Emi approached the hovering insect to get a better look.

Still at least fifteen feet away, it backed away as she approached, mirroring her motion. When she stopped, it stopped. Pressing forward again, it retreated. Backing away, it followed; matching her movements as though it was observing her. Mesmerized by the strange behavior, Emi lost track of herself and started moving in different directions, seeing if the unusual bee continued matching her strides.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kenji's strained voice inquired, causing Emi to blink and spin to catch sight of him as he crested a nearby hill. Her lack of an immediate answer prompted him to add, "I waited for ten minutes, and got a little worried."

Looking back over toward the bee, her face screwed up in confusion; it was gone. "There was a..." she started to say, trailing off as she ducked side to side, trying to find it again. "A bee," she said finally, "but, it's gone, I guess."

"A bee?" Kenji prompted.

Looking back at him, she frowned and explained, "yeah, a big one; it was following me, I think."

Stopping his approach, Kenji glanced around at the surrounding trees before settling a bewildered look on her. "You're sure?" he asked, "weird place for a bee."

"That's what I thought," Emi replied, "It was mimicking my movements, too; almost like it was watching me."

Hearing that made Kenji furrow his brow and hold up a finger. Something about the description was caught in his brain and Emi wasn't in any mood to wait for him to figure it out. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice edged with frustration.

"Maybe it was a bug," he replied.

"Of course it was a bug," Emi retorted, not quite understanding.

"No, I mean like the listening and looking kind of bug," Kenji explained, "like someone's been watching us."

"Oh, right," Emi conceded, screwing up her face in realization, "you mean like we're being watched?!"

"Maybe," Kenji replied in a hushed tone, "here." Holding out the case she had left in the backseat of the car, he motioned for her to take it off his hands, remarking, "we might need these."

Checking around to try and find that bee again, she took the case and set it down on the ground. Drawing out the M90-Z and checking it over before tossing the strap over her shoulder, she turned a determined look at Kenji and grunted, "I've got point."

Whatever was stalking them, she would be prepared this time.


End file.
